Day: February 28, 2019

Please contact your Senators and House Representatives now and ask them to OPPOSE these Charter School Expansion Bills!

SB 292 will be placed on the Senate calendar and could be taken up soon by the Senate.

HB 581 could also soon be on the House calendar and would also allow charter schools to be sponsored by outside entities other than a local school board and operate in districts state-wide.

**ACTION NEEDED: PLEASE CALL OR E-MAIL** and urge your State Senators and State Representatives to oppose the charter school expansion bills.

National and Missouri PTA do recognize and support charter schools when they are public and have to meet all the same evaluation standards that a non-charter public schools must meet. However, Missouri PTA opposes these bills based on the fact that it is allowing the charter schools to be sponsored by entities other than local Public School Board and expands their operation state-wide.

As a community we prioritize the education standards of our kids. We have evaluation standards that must be met for public schools to remain accredited. HB 581 allows for the formation of charter schools in any district in the state. Under this bill, these schools could be controlled by non-public organizations and sponsored by outside entities. These schools would not have to be held to the same evaluation standards non-charter public schools are held. This would allow for the potential for children to not have the quality of education they receive in Missouri public schools. Missouri PTA is not against charter schools when they are under the control nonprofit organizations not affiliated with non-public sectarian, religious, or home-based school organizations of the local school district with the same standards as public schools. HB 581 fails to meet this requirement.

As a community we prioritize the education standards of our kids. We have evaluation standards that must be met for public schools to remain accredited. SB 292 allows for the formation of charter schools in any district in the state. Under this bill, these schools could be controlled by non-public organizations and sponsored by outside entities. These schools would not have to be held to the same evaluation standards non-charter public schools are held. This would allow for the potential for children to not have the quality of education they receive in Missouri public schools. Missouri PTA is not against charter schools when they are under the control nonprofit organizations not affiliated with non-public sectarian, religious, or home-based school organizations of the local school district with the same standards as public schools. SB 292 fails to meet this requirement.

Please oppose SB 292.

Sincerely,

Your name and PTA

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